Masson Antoine - Toussaint de Forbin de Janson, 1672

Toussaint de Forbin-Janson also known simply as Cardinal de Janson (1 October 1631 – 24 March 1713) was a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Catholic

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

and Bishop of Beauvais.

Early life

As a boy, Janson joined the

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

and then the army of the Kingdom of France (as was the custom). But he left the army in his late teens and went to study letters.

Ecclesiastic career

Soon after, he was ordained and at the age of 21 was appointed ''coadjutor bishop'' in support of his uncle, the

Bishop of Digne The Diocese of Digne (Latin: ''Dioecesis Diniensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Digne'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected in the 4th century as the Diocese of Digne, the diocese has bee ...

. He was appointed titular bishop of Filadelfia in 1655 and was forced to leave the Knights of Malta. He succeeded his uncle as Bishop of Digne in 1664 and in 1668 he transferred to become

Bishop of Marseille The Archdiocese of Marseille (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Massiliensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Marseille'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France.Bishop of Beauvais. In 1673, King Louis XIV of France sent Janson to Tuscany to repair his relationship with his cousin,

Marguerite Louise d'Orléans Marguerite Louise d'Orléans (28 July 1645 – 17 September 1721) was a Princess of France who became Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. Libertine and unruly in conduct from an early age, her relations wit ...

, wife of

Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 until his death in 1723, the sixth and penultimate from the House of Medici. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinan ...

. Thereafter he was appointed

Ambassador Extraordinary An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

of France to Poland and then to the Netherlands. Janson announced his support for the Gallican proposals at the 1682 Assembly in Paris. As a result,

Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI ( la, Innocentius XI; it, Innocenzo XI; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 to his death on August 12, 1689. Poli ...

refused to elevate Janson to the cardinalate. Innocent XI died seven years later in 1689.

Cardinalate

In February 1690, the newly elected Pope Alexander VIII elevated Janson to cardinal and appointed him cardinal-priest of the church of

Sant'Agnese fuori le mura The church of Saint Agnes Outside the Walls ( it, Sant'Agnese fuori le mura) is a titulus church, minor basilica in Rome, on a site sloping down from the Via Nomentana, which runs north-east out of the city, still under its ancient name. What a ...

in July of that year. Upon his elevation Janson announced that he would be formally adopting the name ''Cardinal de Janson'' to differentiate himself from his brother, the Marquis du Forbin-Janson. A number of cardinals still resented the position Janson had taken at the Paris assembly, but the Pope insisted Janson had been forgiven for past errors.

Episcopal succession

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forbin-Janson, Toussaint de Toussaint de Forbin 1631 births 1713 deaths 17th-century French cardinals Cardinals created by Pope Alexander VIII 17th-century French diplomats Ambassadors of France to Poland 18th-century French cardinals 17th-century peers of France 18th-century peers of France